Medicare Supplement

Before you renew your Nashville Medigap, check these items

NASHVILLE — If you have a Medigap policy in Davidson County, or you're thinking about buying one, the next few months are worth watching. Rate filings for 2027 are working their way through the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, the Part B deductible that Plans G and N are built around will reset on January 1, and the rules about which Medigap letters you can even buy have not changed — but they still trip people up. Here is a plain-language snapshot for Nashville shoppers heading into 2027.

Which Medigap plans you can actually buy

Medigap plans are standardized by letter, so a Plan G from one insurer covers the same medical items as a Plan G from another. What differs is the price and the company's service.

If you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you can shop from Plans A, B, D, G, G-HD (a high-deductible version of G), K, L, M and N. Plans C and F are still around, but only for people who were eligible for Medicare before that 2020 cutoff. That rule has not changed for 2027 — it just keeps catching newer enrollees off guard.

The Part B deductible reset that matters for Plans G and N

Plans G and N are the two most talked-about letters for new enrollees, and both are designed around the annual Part B deductible. That means you pay the Part B deductible yourself each calendar year before those plans start picking up the Part B coinsurance.

Every January 1, that deductible resets. So if you met it in late 2026, you start over on New Year's Day 2027. If you're planning non-urgent tests or specialist visits around the turn of the year, that reset is worth keeping in mind. Medicare publishes the exact 2027 figure on Medicare.gov once it's finalized.

Rate-adjustment season in Tennessee

Fall and early winter are when many Medigap carriers file rate adjustments with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. Some insurers adjust on a policy anniversary rather than January 1, so two neighbors on the same lettered plan can see changes at different times of year.

A few things to know:

• Tennessee does not set Medigap prices — insurers file them, and the state reviews them.
• Rates can be based on your age at issue, your current age, or a community rate, depending on the insurer. That affects how a policy behaves over time.
• If you get a renewal notice with a new premium, you can shop other insurers for the same lettered plan. Just be aware that outside of your initial Medigap Open Enrollment or a guaranteed-issue situation, insurers in Tennessee can use medical underwriting.

To compare current filings, ask your insurer for the rate sheet, check the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Medigap rate guide, or call the Tennessee SHIP (see below).

Insurers entering or leaving

We are not publishing a Tennessee insurer list here, because Medigap carrier participation shifts throughout the year and any snapshot goes stale fast. The most reliable, current view is the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search: enter your Nashville ZIP code and you'll see every insurer offering Medigap in your area, along with the lettered plans each one sells and a phone number to call for a quote.

If a carrier decides to stop selling new policies in Tennessee, existing policyholders are generally kept on their plans — your coverage doesn't disappear. But the rate math can change, which is another reason to review your renewal notice carefully.

What Nashville shoppers should do this season

• Read any renewal letter the week it arrives, and note your policy anniversary date.
• Run your ZIP code through the Medicare.gov Medigap search to see who is currently selling in Davidson County.
• If you're still in your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period (which starts the month you're 65 and enrolled in Part B), use it — that's when insurers can't turn you down or charge more for health reasons.
• Ask about household or spousal discounts, and about how the insurer sets rates by age.